The Paralympic Games, which has become a prominent global event, has its roots in rehabilitation. The first official Paralympic Games took place in Rome in 1960, but its origins can be traced back to 1948 when neurologist Ludwig Guttmann organized the Stoke Mandeville Games in England for veterans of World War II with spinal cord injuries. Guttmann believed that sports could play a significant role in rehabilitation, pushing the boundaries of human performance in ways that other approaches could not.
Today, the Paralympic Games continue this legacy, with technology playing a central role in the achievements of athletes with disabilities. Technology has allowed these athletes to reach incredible heights, but it has also introduced new challenges, particularly in ensuring fairness and equity in competition.
In the early days, Paralympic technology was basic compared to today’s standards. Athletes competed in regular wheelchairs and used simple strapping for assistance. However, as the Paralympic Games grew, athletes began using specialized technology to gain a competitive edge. Running blades, for example, are carbon fiber prosthetics that mimic natural leg movement while enhancing speed and agility. These blades have revolutionized track events, allowing athletes with lower-limb amputations to compete at speeds comparable to or even faster than able-bodied athletes.
However, the conversation about assistive technology used by athletes has shifted from celebrating integration to debating unfair advantage. In 2019, sprinter Blake Leeper, a bilateral amputee, applied to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics against able-bodied athletes. However, his application was rejected by World Athletics, who received scientific advice stating that Leeper’s prosthetics gave him a competitive advantage. Leeper contested this decision in the Court of Arbitration for Sport but was unsuccessful. He appealed the decision on the grounds of racial prejudice in the scientific advice, but the court rejected his appeal, ruling the evidence to be fair and unbiased.
As technology continues to advance, running blades may seem modest compared to what the future holds. Neuroprosthetics, for example, are devices that interface with the human nervous system to overcome muscular strength and endurance losses resulting from neurological impairments. These devices can be attached externally or surgically implanted and can improve functions such as sitting stability and rowing machine performance. It is possible that athletes could use these devices to gain a significant advantage over competitors that may be undetectable.
To ensure fairness, the International Paralympic Committee has a sport equipment policy that prioritizes human performance over the effect of technology and equipment. However, enforcing this policy becomes increasingly challenging as technology advances, similar to the challenges faced in the Olympics.
Technology can also play a crucial role in classifying athletes to ensure fair competition. Each Paralympic sport uses a classification system based on the type and severity of an athlete’s impairment. However, classification is not without its challenges. Despite significant research advances, the best processes still rely on expert judgment, and there is a wide array of test results to consider. Additionally, some athletes may deliberately underperform on classification tests to exaggerate their impairment severity and gain an unfair advantage.
To address these challenges, a research team is developing an artificial intelligence-driven classification system. This system will use computer vision to analyze para athletes’ movements over time and develop an app that allows athletes to submit videos of themselves performing sports-related tasks for accurate and objective classification. This will make classifications more trustworthy and improve access for athletes in rural and remote areas or developing countries.
However, recruiting a representative sample of high-level para athletes and gaining their trust will be a complex process. The system also cannot fully protect against athletes deliberately underperforming, but it can detect variations in performance over time that may not be visible to the human eye, increasing confidence in the accuracy of an athlete’s classification.
In conclusion, technology has played a significant role in the Paralympic Games, enabling athletes with disabilities to achieve remarkable feats. However, it has also raised concerns about fairness and equity in competition. To ensure fairness, the Paralympic community must use technology as a tool to level the playing field and maintain the integrity of the Games.